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Tuesday, December 13, 2016

A new DePaul study recommends the city adopt the "Idaho Stop" rule for cyclists, allowing them to treat stop lights as stop signs at certain times of the day.

This won't surprise anybody who has driven through a Chicago intersection, but not all cyclists obey stop signs and lights.

Maybe they shouldn't always have to, suggests a new study from DePaul University.

State law requires bicyclists to follow the same rules as motor vehicles, but the laws are not strictly followed or enforced. A study released Monday by DePaul's Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development found that just 1 cyclist in 25 comes to a complete stop at stop signs, and 2 out of 3 go through red lights when there's no cross traffic.

The study proposes that Illinois cities consider changing their laws and allowing cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs, and some red lights as stop signs, thus permitting cyclists to maintain their momentum. It's known as the "Idaho stop" for a 1982 law in that state.